Source:REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
[Saba Sports News] In the previously held women’s doubles quarterfinals of the Hong Kong China Open badminton tournament, the new pairing of Chiharu Shida and Arisa Igarashi lost 1-2 to their teammates Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi, ending their debut run in the quarterfinals. After winning the bronze medal at the Paris World Championships, Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama officially ended their 11-year partnership. Shida chose Arisa Igarashi, who previously competed in mixed doubles, as her new partner to continue competing in women’s doubles. The dissolution of Shida and Matsuyama marks the end of an era for Japanese women’s doubles but also signals the formation of a new landscape. The Shida and Igarashi combination is highly anticipated, as their technical characteristics form a mirror-like complement: when Shida attacks powerfully from the rear court, Igarashi’s net coverage reaches 71%; when Igarashi attacks the net to create opportunities, Shida’s midfield continuous attack connection speed improves by 0.3 seconds. This dual-core driving model could completely subvert the traditional fixed pattern of front-and-back court division in women’s doubles. The evolution of doubles partnerships is like the meshing of gears; the transformation of one inevitably drives the awakening of the other. However, for now, it seems the Shida and Igarashi combination still requires more time to gel.